Last Stand
by Team Dragon Star
Summary: Oneshot. With the fallen bodies of both ally and foe lying around him, Luffy refuses to back down at the unspeakable odds before him, knowing that with his friends he cannot fail.


**Disclaimer: Team Dragon Star does not own One Piece.**

Blood, that was what was clear from his perspective. Using the back of his bruised palm he managed to wipe the blood from his eyes but it did little to help his hazy vision. An explosion could be heard behind him, a vicious crater now where mountains once stood.

Luffy did his best to push himself to his knees, his stamina all but drained from his system. His rubber body, while able to take sustainable damage, had nearly gone past breaking point. His enemy lay before him and he knew that his back was protected, the Sunny Go would protect him for as long as Franky was able to keep the armada at bay.

That had been a painful farewell for the group, leaving one of their own and the home they had lived upon for several years. Like when they had given the Going Merry a Viking funeral, once more they knew that they would have to find another ship, that was provided that any of them managed to survive this onslaught.

His haki quickly alerted him to danger ahead and using the strength he had he pushed himself off to the side just as a laser beam fired by a pacifista pierced the area he had previously knelt.

"C'mon Luffy!" shouted Usopp as he hoisted the rubber man over one of his shoulders. Hurriedly, the sniper of the Straw Hats dragged his captain to the side, away from the centre of the battlefield.

Only now could Luffy see the full extent of the battle that had raged on. What had started as a simple alliance in the New World had extended to a war which threatened to not only tip the balance to either the pirates or the Government, but to wipe out one side altogether. With Luffy as their leader, the Straw Hats had led an invasion much like Whitebeard had at the battle of Marineford. This time though, a great deal of the battle had been conducted at sea and while it had looked like being a one sided battle with the Marines outnumbering the pirates vastly, it had been through the help of a single person that the battle had been tipped in an instant.

Princess Shirahoshi, the shy princess of Mermaid Island had come to the pirates aid, using her powers to communicate with the Sea Kings, causing them to rise up and give the pirates cover fire as they made their way to shore where they knew a bulk of the Marine force was waiting for them. When Shirahoshi had come up to celebrate the small victory with Luffy, she had taken several cannonballs to the back and nobody could do anything but watch as the life of the mermaid princess was taken from right in front of them. Luffy's shout was a mixture of anger and sorrow as he watched his friend die in front of him.

This had another result as the Sea Kings began to rampage, their leader having been taken down before them. They broke into a frenzy, destroying anything in their path without so much as a care for their own safety. Both Marines and Pirates suffered a heavy loss as everybody attempted to get to the safety of the nearby island. Once they had landed however they were bombarded by Pacifista laser blasts and cannon balls being fired from strategic locations.

Both ally and foe charged forward, each knowing that every step could very well be their last in a war that would be retold throughout the ages.

"You're not looking so good Mugiwara boy," said Ivankov as he injected a dying man with adrenaline, ensuring that the 'candy boy' could potentially take out another couple of marines before falling in battle.

"I'll be fine," ensured Luffy as he pushed away from Usopp, momentarily thankful to be out of harms way even though he knew it would only be for a minute or two.

"Let me guess, you need another injection," stated Ivankov, knowing exactly why Luffy would be brought to him. Before Luffy could even make mention of the situation several needles were jabbed into his side, quickly filling him with the drug. "Go boy, do not let your father have died in vain!"

Strangely enough, it didn't haunt Luffy to know that his father had perished on the battlefield, having only met him for the briefest of moments. It was only through Robin identifying him after he had left that Luffy actually realised he had been talking to his dad. Yet somehow, even with the situation going on all about him, he didn't mind that that had been the only conversation he had ever had with the infamous Dragon.

Turning his attention towards the heart of the battle, he could see his nakama battling away with the person they had trained with for two years straight. Zoro and Mihawk moved in synchronicity as they defeated all who approached them, the master and pupil not caring about the title of the World's Strongest Swordsman at the moment; knowing that survival was the number one priority. Yet even from this distance Luffy could see that Zoro wasn't fighting with his usual concentration, an intense fury written in his eye and Luffy could tell why as he forced himself not to look at the fallen form of Sanji. The chef of the Straw Hats hadn't pushed Zoro out of the way of a lethal attack, taking the blow himself, too long ago. Chopper had immediately rushed to the scene but his lapse in concentration had been his undoing as he too was slaughtered without mercy, the two bodies joining the thousands of unknown pirates and marines.

"Mugiwara-ya, who would have thought our alliance would turn into something like this," chuckled Trafalgar Law, the captain of the Heart Pirates leaving a wide array of distorted limbs lying precariously upon the ground, all of them still twitching.

"Friends stick up for one another," said Luffy in response with a smile as his rubber fist extended, the Haki enforced punch piercing through the chest cavity of a Pacifista.

"Maybe if we survive this, I'll actually call you a friend Mugiwara-ya," smirked Law, having always seen the relationship between the two of them as strictly professional.

"It's like the Auction House all over again," said Eustass Kid, his entire body covered in an armor of metallic plating as bullets bounced harmlessly across him. "I think we can agree, that whoever comes out of this alive deserves to be the King of the Pirates, and undoubtedly that person will be me."

"Still cocky Kid-ya," said Trafalgar as he prepared his nodachi for the next wave of attackers.

"I have lost many allies," started Luffy as he pumped his legs, his skin growing pink as steam was produced from his body. Turning his head to the side though he saw the lifeless form of a pink haired marine, the first person he had encountered on his journey all those years ago. For a moment he recalled the difficulties he had encountered along the way, from the war against Crocodile in Alabasta to watching his brother perish before him, every moment having pushed him to this point.  
Focusing his attention to the task at hand, he smiled once more.

"Both friend and foe will be mourned after this, but if I don't become King of the Pirates then I will have let my nakama down. AND THAT IS WHY I WON'T LOSE!" declared Luffy in a ferocious voice as he burst forward with incredible speed knowing that the war was only just beginning.

…

**This chapter was brought to you by Razamataz22. Hope you enjoyed.**


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